I'm planning to leave Canada as a PR with ~1,175 days of physical presence from the date I leave Canada. I would like to go on a couple month vacation in Europe and then move back home with my parents in the US for a couple months to a year. As long as I return to Canada in 2 years or less from the date I leave Canada, will I still be able to submit my Citizenship application the day I arrive back into Canada? Are there any complications with this plan? For further info, my PR card expires in 2026. Thanks for all of your help!
Short answer: the number of days you have been physically present in Canada the date you leave Canada is not what matters. What will matter is how many days you have been physically present in Canada during the five years immediately preceding the date you apply for citizenship. Date your PR card expires is not relevant.
If you meet the eligibility requirements as of the day you apply for citizenship, and you are in Canada, that in itself does not suggest "
any complications." That said, for the sake of appearances and aiming at smooth sailing through the process, it would probably be prudent to get settled into Canada, with a long term residence in Canada, and preferably have an established job as well, and then make the application . . . still being sure you meet the presence requirement as of the day you make the application; and it would be prudent to have a decent margin over the minimum.
Further Observations (particularly in light of the posts above)
:
@elbob referenced some key elements to consider if a PR is headed outside Canada AFTER applying or otherwise living outside Canada while an application for citizenship is pending.
Much of the other posts are similarly oriented to the effect of being abroad while an application is pending.
I have very recently addressed this at length here:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/process-for-citizenship-while-no-longer-living-in-canada.781195/#post-10264973
But that does not appear to be your question. In particular, you ask:
"As long as I return to Canada in 2 years or less from the date I leave Canada, will I still be able to submit my Citizenship application the day I arrive back into Canada? Are there any complications with this plan?"
As I noted above, if you meet the eligibility requirements as of the day you apply for citizenship, and you are in Canada, that in itself does not suggest "
any complications."
If you are abroad for
two years, however, or to be more precise, two years plus a day, you will not meet the eligibility requirements as of the day you are back in Canada, and will need to wait to apply when you have been in Canada at least 1095 days within the preceding five years, as of the day you apply.
Even if you are abroad for less than two years, if you traveled outside Canada much during the three years before you leave, you will need to be sure that you have at least 1095 days presence within the preceding five years, as of the day you apply. And, again, applying with a significant margin over the minimum would be prudent.
Re Applying Before You Leave:
I'm worried that I might get an in-person testing date right in the middle of my travels. Could the citizenship test return to in-person next year or will it be online for a while longer?
Frankly, it makes a lot of sense to me to take logistical factors into consideration in making a decision about when to apply for citizenship. But of course this is a very personal matter, something for each individual to decide based on the particular circumstances in their situation.
Many who leave Canada and are abroad after applying still sail through the process as easily as those who remain in Canada. Many others do not.
Again, I have very recently addressed, at length, the matter of leaving Canada after applying, which again is here:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/process-for-citizenship-while-no-longer-living-in-canada.781195/#post-10264973
Beyond that we do not know if or when in-person knowledge of Canada tests will be resumed.
Otherwise, generally applicants located in the U.S. will ordinarily be able to return to Canada for scheduled events more easily than those who have relocated elsewhere in the world, some locations posing more logistical risks than others. But what really matters is the individual applicant's situation and their capacity to deal with potential contingencies.
There is no one-rule fits all. Leading to . . .
Plenty of anecdotal evidence that those who are outside Canada for long periods are experiencing delays that are proportional.
Not really. My parents were outside canada due to various reasons and still got oath within a yr of applying.
(Senior citizens).
I am confused. Leaning toward a "
not really" response to your post except I am not sure what you are asserting.
Are you claiming that
@akbardxb is wrong about there being plenty of anecdotal evidence that those who are outside Canada for long periods are experiencing delays? If so, you are wrong. There is indeed no shortage of anecdotal reporting about applicants abroad experiencing longer processing times and encountering issues.
Or are you claiming those anecdotal reports are untrue? I cannot vouch for every anecdotal report here, but many of the those reporting they have been abroad and are experiencing longer processing times have plenty of earmarks indicating their reliability. Even if all are not true, it readily appears many are.
Or are you claiming those anecdotal reports are not representative of how things go for applicants abroad for extended periods after applying? This is of course a more complicated matter. It goes to quantifying the risks. In any event, obviously the experience of applicants who do not need to take the knowledge of Canada test while abroad (such as your parents) will not represent or illuminate much about the experience of applicants abroad who take the test while abroad.
